Blakemore Fine Foods launches new edition of its ‘Best of British’ alcohol catalogue

Blakemore Fine Foods has launched a new edition of its ‘Best of British’ alcohol catalogue showcasing the best of British ales, ciders, wines and spirits.

Fine Foods commercial manager Patrice Garrigues said that the Fine Foods team has been working hard to refine the range on offer since the first edition of the catalogue was issued last year.

The latest brochure, printed in May, features in excess of 470 products from more than 75 different distilleries, cider mills and breweries from across the UK.

Garrigues commented: “The UK trade beer market is now worth £3.7 billion, with craft and premium ales outperforming standard lines by 32.5%. As a result, Britain now has more breweries per person than anywhere else in the world, and we want to help raise the profile of these producers and give them access to a wider market.

“The craftsmanship demonstrated by the manufacturers that we have listed is of the highest quality and helps explain why consumer demand for such products is growing faster than ever before.

“While sales to the mature, traditional real ale drinker in a 500ml format remain strong, there is also growing demand for 330ml volumes and cans, driven by the younger, non-gender-specific ale and cider drinkers increasingly being spotted at craft beer festivals nationwide.”

Fine Foods trading manager Danny Beardmore said: “Our catalogue reflects the latest trends by showcasing traditional long-established producers such as Sheppy’s Cider, who have been making cider since 1816, right through to relative newcomers such as Brew Dog, who set up their brewery creating award-winning beers in 2007.

“However, our range is far more extensive than ales and includes products such as award-winning wines from the Sixteen Ridges vineyard in Herefordshire, Limoncello from Adnams distillery in Suffolk, and Applesecco from Oldfields Orchard in Worcestershire.”

Due to popular demand, the new brochure has seen an increase in the range of single-pick spirits, enabling retailers to try more lines without ordering a vast amount of stock. Many new gin lines have also been added to reflect the surge in the juniper-based spirit’s popularity and the dramatic rise in the number of craft gins such as the award-winning Whittaker’s and Rock Rose gins.

The catalogue will be distributed to 1,500 retailers, independent pubs and farm shops, and lines will also be sold into key retailers and Blakemore Wholesale’s cash & carry estate.

Garrigues added: “We are doing what nobody else is currently doing in the marketplace by bringing such a comprehensive range of quality British alcohol together, with customers able to order bulk, gift packs or single-pick bottles.”

The whole range can be ordered online or over the phone, with minimum orders starting at £150.